1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to shift lever assemblies for automotive manual transmissions.
2. Description of the Related Art
The shift lever assemblies for manual transmissions are of various types. For example, the applicant has proposed a shift lever assembly having a construction as shown in the specification and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 5-283395. This application has not yet been laid open to public, and the proposed shift lever assembly is not a prior art.
FIG. 9 shows, in perspective view, a shift lever assembly having the same construction as in the technique shown in the specification and drawings mentioned above. The illustrated shift lever assembly has a lever retainer 80 which is mounted on a floor of a vehicle. A shift lever 82 is supported for shifting operation and also for selecting operation on the lever retainer 80. In this specification, operation in X directions is referred to as shifting operation, and operation in Y directions is referred to as selecting operation.
The shift lever 82 is capable of the shifting operation together with a shifting lever 84 relative to the lever retainer 80 about a shift shaft 86. In addition, the shift lever 82 is capable of the shifting operation relative to the shifting lever 84 about the axis of a select lever 88 which extends at right angles to the shift shaft 86. When selecting operation of the shift lever 82 is caused, a selecting lever 92 is rotated relative to the lever retainer 80 about the axis of a support shaft 94 parallel to the shift shaft 86 via a select arm 89 and a ball 90 at an end of the select arm 89.
With the shift lever 82, the lower end thereof and a boss 82a which is supported for rotation on the select shaft 88, the boss 82a and the select arm 89, and further the select arm 89 and the ball 90, are coupled to one another by welding or crimping. In addition, with the shifting lever 84, the upper end thereof and a boss 84a supported for rotation on the shift shaft 86, and the boss 84a and the select shaft 88, are coupled to one another by welding or crimping. The selecting lever 92 and the support shaft 94 therefor are made integral with each other by pressure fitting or like means.
Thus, the illustrated shift lever assembly comprises a large number of components. In addition, its assembling involves a large number of steps because of use of such means as welding, crimping and pressure fitting for coupling the predetermined components to one another, and therefore requires long assembling time.